To not let DD taste sugary things until I have to?

[HopLittleFroggiesHopSkipJump]

DD is 13 months, and eats the same as me except anything unhealthy yummy is substituted with things like baby treats or fruit etc to distract her.

I just had a chocolate biscuit, and she's sat there munching away on sweetcorn hoops clueless to what she's missing out on, am I being a bit mean not even letting her taste things or does everyone else keep them oblivious to 'treats' as long as possible too?

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

YANBU for not wanting such a young child to have biscuits and sweets etc but fruit is sugary, so she may still have a sweet tooth.

[FredFredGeorge]

What other way of checking you've not over-heated the breast milk is there other than tasting it?

If you really believe "treats" are nicer than normal food, then I think withholding it is more likely to be a problem, because all of a sudden when the "treats" are got hold of. That regular food would seem really horrible and to be avoided? So I'm not even sure of the sense of the idea.

Not that I actually believe any of it...

[Retroformica]

What are sweetcorn hoops? Never heard of them. We tend to steer away from processed foods, white flour items and sugar if poss. I agree it's best to steer clear for as long as you can. I know too many families who just eat crap.

[Retroformica]

Ps, we tend to have weekly treats these days or more often if we visit friends

[HopLittleFroggiesHopSkipJump]

Sweetcorn hoops are like the carrot puffs ('organix')

I'm not so much trying to avoid a sweet tooth, she still breastfeed mostly and loves fruit so that's out of the window, just trying to keep her healthy as possible while I still have any say in it!

Glad she's not the only one deprived of chocolate, biscuits, crisps etc, I think most of my friends with similar aged babies must just be relaxed rather than me being mean then (though not sure DD will agree when she finally gets hold of some!)

[HopLittleFroggiesHopSkipJump]

(By breastfeeds mostly I mean most of her diet is milk)

[JenaiMorris]

If children are only eating rubbish like rice cakes at the exclusion of the good stuff, then that's generally a Bad Thing.

But a bit of cake, chocolate or caramel fudge ice cream, and a good mix of protein, fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, good fats, calcium sources etc are not mutually exclusive.

[Lilacroses]

Not BU at all. I know just what you mean. I definitely agree it's better for us ALL to eat less processed food and as someone who has only recently managed to tame their extremely sweet tooth (and has had the most horrible teeth problems as a result) I would go easy on the sweets, but also include in that dried fruit and fruit juice.

Personally I don't think it is helpful when people police their children's eating when they are older (school age) to the extent that they are not allowed to have treats even at parties. Not what you've been talking about I know. I know one poor child whose parent would not let her have a piece of birthday cake at a friends party when she was 6. No food allergies or health problems.....just sugar is evil. It was horrible for the child, she felt really singled out and unsurprisingly was slightly obsessed with sweets and cakes as a result!

[Northernlurker]

There is nothing 'healthy' about labelling some foods as 'bad'. The OP is feeding her child processed food just not stuff that's overtly 'treat' food. She certainly isn't excluding sugar and nor should we aim to. We need sugars just like we need fats.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

I gave ds4 8 months old a lick of my ice cream last week

[Lilacroses]

x posted with you JenaiMorris, what a great post!

[specialsubject]

just read something to the effect that a box of raisins is like a pound of grapes, same amount of sugar. Keep a sense of proportion but do remember that dried fruit is incredibly sugary.

as is sweetcorn. Although no idea what sweetcorn hoops are.

[Lilacroses]

I'm not advocating calling some foods "bad" I'm just suggesting that it is healthier to eat less processed foods. It's all about balance isn't it? I'm well aware that healthy eating isn't only about vegetables! I don't think we "need" processed sugary food do we? We might like it but we don't actually need it!

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

He also had a jar of organix baby food, first time hes had a jar but we were out for the day with friends.

Friend said oh I never gave my ds3 jars (no just sweetcorn hoops, carrot puffs and quavers from 8 monthss)

All said while giving her dd 4months some chocolate to suck

[JenaiMorris]

Actually I think babies aren't meant to have wholegrain stuff (but it's been nearly THIRTEEN years since I had a baby to feed so I'm probably a bit rusty )

I will totally appear on MN as the MIL from hell when I 'innocently' give my grandchildren pudding.

[stopgap]

I don't give my son chocolate, biscuits etc. and he's 2.2. Well, he's tried ice cream and chocolate and didn't like either, but he's a fiend for pizza, chips, calamari etc. which is what we have for treats of a weekend. I've always preferred a plate of salty snacks over sweet ones. I wonder if it's genetic?

[dietcokeandwine]

YANBU at all with a child this age. Did the same with my older two boys and will do same again with my third. Baby DS is 8m and will not be offered anything like cake, biscuits etc until as far past age 1 as I can manage!

The only thing I would advise caution on is taking this to extremes once your baby is nearer to 2 and certainly beyond that-many people I know have been strict till age two and then relaxed a bit. They will go to parties, be offered sweets on children's birthdays at preschool, etc etc. Try not to be so extremist that you refuse to allow preschool aged children anything sweet or chocolate related...It IS perfectly possible to allow treats from time to time and still ensure your DC eat a healthy balanced diet. My older two consumed big slices of chocolate cake this afternoon, but they also devoured broccoli and carrots with lunch, a small bowl of fresh fruit each, salad with tea etc etc. Everything in moderation! I do know of a few mums who have been very extremist (nothing 'treat like' whatsoever for a 3 year old-not ever allowed even a plain biscuit, not even the organix stuff, and whilst he will have a birthday cake on his birthday it is for guests only-he won't be allowed any!). That kind of extremism is probably going to be counter productive IMO.

But for a 13mo-not unreasonable at all.

[Glimmerberry]

If you do manage to avoid sweet stuff for the first couple of years, make sure you've got a camcorder ready to film that first bit of cake. My 2 year old had his first ever tunnocks teacake last week and his face was a fantastic combination of concentration, delight, awe and immense gratitude. Not a word was spoken until the last morsel was finished, then all he said was, "Nice".

[Dollybird86]

This is my plan it has so far worked for my Dsil and her kids 4 & 18months are more than happy with fruit and yoghurt as a treat (shes goes as far as only giving plain yoghurt) they are both very happy healthy children.

[SleepyFish]

YANBU. I don't get people who give babies and toddlers sweets and chocolate. It's not like they know they're missing out.
I managed 3 years of ds thinking rice cakes were treats until a friend gave him a packet of haribos. It's all downhill from there.
The first couple of years are the only time you have total control of their diet, might as well make the most of it.

[Mrsostrich]

Dd is 13 months. She always has a few white choc buttons at my mums. I don't sweat it. She eats loads of food. She will happily eat anything given to her except broccoli but I think that's the texture.

I intend to bring her up that everything in moderation is fine so long as she is active and brushes her teeth I don't see the issue.

My nephew was deprived of treats and now he is a nightmare and has one of the worst diets I've ever seen in a kid. If he is given chocolate (at least daily sometimes several times a day) he eats it so quickly and binges on it if he is left with it. My other nephew has always been allowed sweets and he tends to go for fruit or pop corn over chocolate

I don't know ask me again in ten years. I'm new to all of this

[diplodocus]

I did this with DD1. I used to avoid anything with added sugar until 18 m (e.g. add pureed unsweetened fruit to natural yoghurt rather than bought flavoured yoghurt and no biscuits etc.) She has the sweetest tooth of any child I know and has no "off switch" when it comes to sweet food at parties etc. I didn't really do it with DD2 to anything like the same extent and while she quite likes sweet food she is much more restrained. Don't know if it had any bearing but can't help feeling disappointed with the way things turned out. You're obviously not depriving her but equally you may not be influencing her later eating habits if that's what you're hoping.

[Jan49]

My ds didn't have chocolate or icecream until he was 5. He's now a tall, slim, healthy eating young adult of 20 and when he eats things like chocolate it's very much in moderation. He also has very good teeth.

The only problem it ever caused us was other parents' disapproval, which I think was based on people seeing it as a criticism of their choices because their kids stuffed themselves silly on chocolate and crap and they preferred other people to agree with them.

[slightlysoupstained]

I had DS carefully trained during mat leave. I would get a Magnum, he would get a healthy snack, then when I was finished he got the lolly stick to wave around, which he was entirely content with.

Then I went back to work and DP decided to take him out to a cafe for icecream every week. Bah. Now he knows.

YANBU OP. Though tbh by now we are tending to eat less rubbish as DS is more aware of what we're eating anyway. There's plenty of time for him to enjoy cake, chocolate etc, why rush?

[slightlysoupstained]

I had DS carefully trained during mat leave. I would get a Magnum, he would get a healthy snack, then when I was finished he got the lolly stick to wave around, which he was entirely content with.

Then I went back to work and DP decided to take him out to a cafe for icecream every week. Bah. Now he knows.

YANBU OP. Though tbh by now we are tending to eat less rubbish as DS is more aware of what we're eating anyway. There's plenty of time for him to enjoy cake, chocolate etc, why rush?